Aku
by MibuWolf
Summary: It was hate at first sight when they met each other the first time. Sanosuke didn't trust her and megumi hates him for a reason that's linked to her past. But will the events to follow change all that?
1. Prologue

Author's Note: OMG… with the exception of writing parody Christmas carols… I have not updated at all during the last month or so! –slaps self- I must stop being so lazy! Argh! Gomen nasai! Now, time to feed my…erm… artistic desires… -sweatdrops-

On the fic: This fic is going to be unlike all other fics I have written before… I warn you… stay away from this of you are easily offended whatsoever…The angst rate is high as well, in a dark way.

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Aku

Prologue

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It seemed that they were never made for each other. They were like poles of two magnets; no matter how much you tried to bring the two together, both would push each other array with equal force and contempt.

And so it was this way with Sagara Sanosuke and Takani Megumi. Each regarded the other party with utmost contempt; their one wish was for the other to be erased from the face of the earth, leaving no evidence that he or she ever existed.

He despised her because of the wounds she inflicted on him. She resented him for the old wounds he opened in her.

Sanosuke's were too fresh and still painful for him to ignore. Never once did he stop thinking o revenge. Never once did he stop hurling vicious insults at her to tend to his own wounds. The hatred he felt was harder to ignore than the blood that spilled from his cuts.

Megumi thought the ordeal of hers was over. She thought that the scars would fade with time, but apparently the shadow of the past is too cruel to let her go, hence rubbing salt in the wound; it keeps reminding her of how much she had to suffer before she could escape his clutches.

Perhaps if you were to look at them now, you would never believe that they ever felt this way once. Then again, one did not really anticipate any change between the two; it spelt chaos from the start.

They kept away from each other…

Just like the like poles of two magnets, you would never expect them to meet.

And just like old, deeply-carved scars, they never fade away. They are a fresh reminder of ordeals that keep you away from what carved them in your skin in the first place, and what resembles that ordeal the most.

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	2. Former Alias

Author's Note: FINALLY I am able to write five pages (on paper) for a single chapter alone! Ah! I feel like I achieved a new record or something…

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Aku

Chapter Two: Former Alias

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Unlike many of the spoilt, self-centered brats of the new generation that clung on to their sheltered childhood like a vine to a branch, Sagara Sanosuke had actually left his home ages before he took his first steps to adulthood.

He left his family empty-handed save for the clothes on his back. And even now, at the age where one might speak of him as a man, one year before he hit his second decade, he still possessed nothing of real money value; at least nothing he had could sell for more than a hundred yen. He didn't keep any mementos of the family he'd left behind, either.

Sanosuke was an individual with few sentimental attachments… except for the one weapon with which he used to fight; Zanbatou, the sword that gave him his alias.

But even the one thing he treasured was no more; it had been broken in two the same day Himura Kenshin, the man he first sought out to kill, broke the chain of hatred that held him down for years.

Just like that chain of hated, the broken weapon was a useless thing to keep. Most would have thrown it out of their lives by now.

The former Zanza asked his friend Kamiya Kaoru if he could keep it at her Dojo.

…

Sanosuke ran a calloused palm over the smooth metal of the Zanbatou's blade, its shiny surface reflecting the movement of his fingers tracing it. The wooden handle lay a few centimeters away from it.

Perhaps if he were to send it to a blacksmith to put it back together again… no, he shook his head as if to clear his mind of such pointless dreams. He already owed Himura Kenshin and Kamiya Kaoru too much. There was no way he could afford more debt.

_What can I do now? _He wondered inwardly. Without his Zanbatou, his trade as a hired street fighter might as well be non-existent. He had no income, starting from today onwards.

Sagara Sanosuke, unemployed. That was what the government would label him. He grimaced inwardly; at least when he was still Zanza, he had had a regular allowance.

_Damn those Meiji bastards!_ Sanosuke swore silently. _Who gives a shit about those rat finks! _His knuckles flared white as he gripped the broken Zanbatou, then dropped it and gave a yelp of pain as the sharp edge pierced his skin.

The former Zanza sucked at his thumb, something he would never be caught dead doing in public, where the blade drew blood. A drop of blood splashed onto it, spoiling the flawless silver skin with a drop of crimson.

_Heck. _If the Zanbatou could no longer assist him in a fight, then he might as well leave it somewhere so it couldn't hurt him either.

"See you later." Sanosuke slid the closet door shut, then turned away and walked out on the last thing that marked his trade, the sign of evil on his back trailing his path.

…

"Ninety-two, ninety-three, come on, only seven more strokes to go and I'm done!" Myojin Yahiko panted as he practiced the new technique his teacher Kaoru had taught him the previous week.

Under the normal circumstances, the kid samurai would not have bothered to even get his butt off the floor. But this was not normal circumstances. Yahiko was practicing so he could beat Kaoru at their next practice match.

_That Ugly shouldn't have messed with me, not in front of Kenshin! I'll show who's the real wuss around here! _He vowed silently to himself.

…

Sanosuke had kept his Zanbatou away and he was making a de-tour to Kaoru's kitchen for a uick bite when he noticed Kaoru's kendo student practicing by himself.

However, being new to the "Kenshin bumi" and having zero experience where kendo practices were involved, he had the impression that the bratty kid was whacking this air for amusement!

"Pei, Yahiko," he called out. When he didn't get any reply, he tried again, "Yahiko-CHAN!" This time, it half-worked. Yahiko turned to him and replied. "Can't… talk… now…"

"Are you learning how to hit a piñata?" Sanosuke asked. Yahiko merely glared at him and turned away, muttering something about having to "beat the crap outta Ugly".

The former Zanza snorted and continued looking for the kitchen. Kids… they were always the same; fill of starry-eyed aspirations and fantasies about being the next David and Goliath, with nothing to dampen their hopes.

_Weren't you like that once? _A voice piped up in his head. Sanosuke merely growled and shoved away that thought from his mind.

_I wasn't so lucky to be playing with thin air when I was ten. _

…

Himura Kenshim, resident rurouni of the Kamiya Dojo, sat down on the floor and leaned against the pole in his favourite pose. His face appeared peaceful with the exception of the twin scars etched onto his cheek.

_Sakura petals are at their loveliest when they disperse to the earth… _

"Kenshin." Kaoru's voice broke into his day dream about Sakura petals. The young girl appeared a little troubled. "Hai, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin moved a little to make space for her.

The kendo teacher sat down next to him. "Sasnosuke asked if I could keep his Zanbatou… you know, the one you broke that time?" she began hesitantly.

Kenshin nodded. "Go on," he prompted, curious at what she had to say.

"Well, he was a member of the Seikihou Army… and he saw his own mentor getting killed… and that day when you both fought… something seemed to churn within him…"

His expression grew serious. "I see." He said finally, after a moment of silence. His scarlet bangs hung lazily over his dark amethyst eyes which bored right into her.

"What I mean is, he's only a year older than me and I feel as if I'm talking to someone ten years older… no offence, Kenshin. But sometimes he's so happy-go-lucky as if nothing happened to him at all. I don't know… maybe he's just hiding it." Kaoru blurted, out, not really understanding what she was talking about. "You know how it is… certain people hide their true emotions… and then they do something to try and erase the pain… some times they may even get too depressed to do anything and then they stop eating all together…"

Just then, as if on cue, Sanosuke appeared behind them. "Who's skipping meals?" he asked, puzzled. Right not, he was contentedly finishing up a bean bun.

"Er, nothing." Muttured Kaoru, slightly embarrassed. "Did you keep your Zanbatou?" she asked in a bid to change the subject.

"The former Zanza dropped his gaze. "Yeah, I did." he mumbled. An awkward silence fell upon the trio as neither spoke a word.

Finally, Sanosuke spoke. "Excuse me."

Kaoru looked at him. "What?" she asked.

He indicated the dorrway in which she was standing right smack in the middle.

"Are you trying to say that I'm fat?" the kendo teacher snapped, more than slightly offended.

Sanosuke tried hard not to laugh. "Yahiko's words, not mine." He replied. He hastily made his exit before the volcano erupted.

…

The town market, further into the heart of Tokyo, formally known as Edo, was abuzz with activity. Hawkers shouted out their wares and prices. Customers haggled over the cost of goods.

It spelt utter chaos, but for someone like the one many called "Zanza", it had woven into his life and he learnt to live with its noises until it became his nightly lullaby.

The nineteen-year old pushed through the crowd, narrowly avoided getting hit by a hefty sack of rice being piled up onto a cart, rounded a corner, and then stepped into a congested, dirty little alley. The smell that came from the clogged up, un-sealed drains was enough to drive anyone away.

So why did he go there anyway?

It was the only place where he and his buddies could meet, and besides they had no other place, not while the dirty Meiji government was there to push them down in the dirt. He might as well get used to the place; he could be staying there soon if he couldn't come afford another month's rent. No hamr done, anyhow. That ditch would be proof to show all that flowery crap about "Meiji Restoration" came to nothing.

…

As soon as Sanosuke caught sight of his friends, the sour, glum expression he usually wore was replaced by a sunny, carefree disposition. He waved to his acquaintances, who gestured back eagerly, beckoning him over.

"Where's Tatsu?" he asked them, noticing an absence among them. "Oh, him," replied one, known to them as Nobu. "He's at home to tend to his wife… poor woman's taken ill again."

"Oei, Zaza!" another one greeted cheerfully, slapping Sanosuke playfully on the back. "How ya been? You were gone for so long that you died somewhere!"

Snoauske glared at him. "I told you, I don't go by that name anymore." He retorted. "And I won't die just "somewhere", you know…"

Nobu laughed heartily. "Still sore about that old thing are you?" he joked. "I told you to get rid of it. Even a farmer wouldn't use it to shovel firt."

That last remark stung in more than one way. Sanosuke tried to think of something to say, like, "I was saving it for your arse."

But he didn't get that chance. A woman who appeared to be in her twenties broke through their little gathering like a wild horse on the loose. Her hair was yanked in all directions, her white cotton yukata barely clinging to her skeleton-like frame. She tripped over a stone and fell right at Sanosuke's feet. Before he could back away, she reached out and held on to his wrist with a cold, vice-like grip. Her eyes, large and pleading, looked right into his gaze. Cold beads of sweat slid down her face as she panted heavily whilst whispering these two words:

"Help me."

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Author's Note: Well that answers the question as to whether or not it is set in an alternate reality… sadly NO, so bwahaha, we are stuck in the ancient time of the Meiji Japan. Bwahahaha. Come to think of it, I haven't written anything in A/U mode. So their might just be one in the works. –winkies-

Only three weeks into the new school year and I'm buried under a Mount Fuji of assignments and tests and tuitorials! Argh!

Hopefully, the next chapter should be up QUITE soon. Half of it's already written down but I'm too tired to think up how to finish that chapter.

Until the next update!

-grin5-

mC


	3. Disaster in Disguise

Authors' Note: AHHH! HOW LONG SINCE I UPDATED! Mibu-chan is profusely sorry for the delay! Too long a delay! Without further ado, chapter TWO!

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Aku

Chapter Two: Disaster in Disguise

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"Help me."

_Help her? With what? And how? _So many questions raced through Sanosuke's head as the woman held on to him, her eyes large and pleading. The fact that they now had an audience watching their every move was not helping, either.

"Hey, Nobu, help me out here will you?" he asked, turning toward his friend. The fat man responded to his plea like a bull would to a couple of houseflies hitching a ride on its back.

Nobu was standing there, his eyes wide in recognition. "That's Tatsu's wife, Miyo," he whispered. "But how did she manage to get out…"

The woman who was Tatsu's wife clung tighter still, muttering, "They're after me… they're after me…" Beads of sweat began to form on her deathly white forehead and roll down.

_She's hallucinating! _Sanosuke realized. Placing a hand on her head, he found noted that her temperature was high. Too high for comfort. _Don't die on me…_"Could someone move and at least do _some_thing here?" he shouted to the crowd. They did nothing more than gossip amongst themselves and point at the poor, ill-looking woman.

"Perhaps I can be of some assistance?" The speaker was a woman, tall and willow-skinned. She donned a rose-pink kimono and carried a rose-wood medicinal box in her hands.

"Please do," the former Zanza muttered, casting an angry look at the crowd who was _still_ standing and staring. Did they _ever _amount to anything else? He handed Miyo over to the new-comer, who examined her closely.

"Miss Takani, we must be going." Said a man who came up to her. Three others followed behind, their questionable looking attire adding to their mysterious presence.

The lady called Miss Takani shook her head. "I have to tend to her first." Taking a look at the crowd, she ordered the lot to move. "Give the poor woman some space, she needs air to breathe and it isn't going to be possible if you keep crowding around here. You there, get warm water and some towels!" Meekly, the crowd obeyed, moving back and muttering. Nobu, the one whom she had ordered to be her temporary "assistant", rushed into a nearby shop to get the items she had asked.

Sanosuke observed the woman as she tended to her patient. She moved with a professional air and behaved as though they were in a quaint, sterilized clinic instead of in a crowded, dirty alley. He wondered for a moment how she could actually get on with her work when four strange-looking men were behind her, their cold gaze boring into her back.

"How is she?" He asked her. The woman continued looking down at Miyo, her gaze un-moving. "Aren't you going to give her something for her, well… whatever it is."

Takani looked up at him, her almond-shaped eyes meeting his hard gaze for a fleeting second, then dropped them down again. "She appears to be suffering from a fever, which may have caused her hallucinations. Get her home as quickly as possible and try to calm her. She seems rather disturbed. Make sure she lies down for at least five days, and call a doctor over to take a look at her."

"What about medication?" Sanosuke asked. Takani hesitated, as if contemplating whether or not to do something. Finally, as if coming to a decision, she opened her medicinal box and took out a small triangular-shaped package. Handing it to him, she murmured. "Give her this and let her sleep. It'll help ease her ailment." Without waiting for him to reply, she stood up and left.

The former Zanza stood up and watched her go. Who _was_ this mysterious person? And what was she doing with four of those wierdos tailing her like zombies? "Matte!" he called out.

The woman turned back and looked and him. A moment of silence passed before she replied. "Megumi. My name is Takani Megumi." So saying, she left.

Nobu joined Sanosuke. "Who was _she_?" he asked, curious. Clearly he had never seen such an attractive lady before.

Sanosuke shrugged. "I dunno… must be one of those medical students that traveled from god-knows-where to study the secrets of medicine." Judging by how expensive her kimono fabric looked, and the "clique" that was with her, she must be one of those doctor-wannabes who came from rich families with western-styled villas and too much cash they did not know what to do with it.

"Come on, we better get Miyo home. Tatsu's gotta be worried sick about her disappearance."

…

Two weeks had passed since Sanosuke had made an acquaintance with the mysterious lady doctor. By the end of the first week, however, he hardly thought about her, as he had other issues to worry about.

In other words, he still had not found enough money to pay his rent for the month.

And if he did not pay up by the time the landlord came round to collect the rent, he would most likely throw him out, something that seemed to please that stuck-up, money-minded capitalist.

"How's Miyo?" Sanosuke asked Nobu as they paced the streets of the marketplace in uptown Tokyo. Her husband had been relieved when they had brought her home that day.

Nobu shook his head, a troubled expression on his face. "Still not too good. Her condition stabled for a day after she took those funny-looking tablets in that package, then her fever took a dive and decided to turn her into a half-baked...what?" He stopped when he noticed his companion staring at him.

"You have a weird way of thinking, Nobu," Sanosuke shook his head. No words were exchanged while they continued pacing aimlessly, occasionally apologizing as they bumped into a couple of housewives going about their chores.

After some time, Nobu spoke up. "You still are struggling with paying the rent?" Sanosuke let out a terse sigh. "What does it look like?" he asked. "That dump of a landlord will be having a good reason to polish that boot of his. Specially reserved for my arse on that special occasion. I anticipate that with utmost joy."

Observing the crowds of people and the minority group lying slumped against the walls of shops (in other words the minority group were unemployed, homeless beggars), he remarked, "The pavements look clean enough…"

"You can put up at my place if you want," Nobu offered. "Thanks but no thanks." Fighting the urge to shudder at the mention of his friend's residence, he tried not to recall the times when he had dropped by Nobu's house and saw the mess inside there. God knows what lay beneath those layers of… never mind.

"Besides, there's no way you can stay there without anyone checking you out. Those Meiji people will have their dogs sniff you out." The fat man added.

Sanosuke spat in disgust. "I forgot about _those._ Damn those bastards, they're never going to let me rest in peace right? That bunch of…"

"Pigs." Nobu interrupted. Seeing the confused look on the youngster's face, he nodded towards a street vendor selling steamed pork buns. "Want one?" he asked.

"Whatever." Sanosuke shrugged. "I'm not paying."

…

Niwa District was a transition between the well-to-do and the downright poor; Decent-looking apartments had been built, with surrounding borders to bar others from breaking in. Rows of badly-built huts slumped against the gates. Everywhere, young, thin children ran around, chasing after one another while playing tag.

Niwa District, that half-slump, half-housing area, was now Sanosuke's former home. Having failed to pay his rent on time for the tenth consecutive time since he moved in, his landlord had chosen to kick him out.

"I never said I liked I staying near you anyway!" The former Zanza yelled as he went out, not caring that the other tenants were watching his outburst.

_Che. _The pavements never seemed more welcoming to him than that moment. He was about to choose a spot and lie down for the night when he noticed a light coming out from one of the houses.

_Isn't that Tatsu's house? _Curious, he abandoned his temporary rest area and walked toward his friend's house. As he approached, he noticed a small crowd gathered there.

"No good, no good…" Tatsu held his head in his large hands, shaking to and fro. "How could this…"

"Tatsu, what's wrong?" Sanosuke asked in concern. "Nobu?"

Nobu shook his head sadly.

_What the hell is going on?_

"Miyo's died. She passed away an hour ago." Were his words.

"What? I don't get it… I thought she would be better…" Sanosuke was confused.

"It was poison! Poison!" Tatsu suddenly spoke up. "Miyo's dead! She's never coming back! Never!" Before anyone had a chance to react, he got up and ran out of the house.

"Tatsu, wait!"

Tatsu ignored him. He ran and ran until…

Until he couldn't run anymore.

His path was blocked by a railing…

Which was built there to prevent anyone from falling…

Into the canal below.

Sanosuke saw Tatsu standing at the railing, looking out at the canal. Within seconds, he realized what he was going to do.

"Tatsu, no!"

He didn't hear him. Or reply. Because he couldn't.

Tatsu climbed the railing and jumped into the canal. The dirty water splashed as he jumped in, rippled, then ceased to move as he sunk into the deep darkness.

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Author's Note: Once again, I'm very very very very very very VERY SORRY that I have not updated in, like, months! I'm really very sorry! I'll try to update as often as I can once I get all my work done. Hopefully, I might be able to update my other fics soon. Stay tuned for the next chapter! What's to happen next? Find out in Chapter Three! (sorry really high now 'cuz I finally updated. -.-)

Until the Next Update!

-grin5-

mC


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